HomeGrown Gourmet #3: Apple Tart Normande

For this edition of Homegrown Gourmet, which I hosted this month, I decided to make an apple tart with mostly local ingredients. I sort of expected it to be a little more custardy on top, but it was delicious and buttery nonetheless. Stay tuned for the roundup of the event coming within the hour.

To make the sweet tart crust, in a food processor, cut the butter into the flour. Add the salt and sugar. Do not overwork. Add the egg yolk and water mixture little by little. Process 15-20 seconds. Turn the pastry out onto a floured board. Blend the pastry by pressing it into a ball and kneading it quickly with the heel of your hand until no lumps remain As with the pastry, work as quickly as possible, and use as little additional flour as possible to avoid toughening the dough. Chill the dough at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Prepare the pastry and line the tart pan, line the pastry with aluminum foil and weight it with dried beans or rice or pie weights, bake for 12 minutes.

Slice the apples into 1/8″ lengthwise slices. Mix the apples with the sugar and cinnamon and arrange in concentric circles in the tart crust Bake for 20 minutes or until the apples begin to color.Cool while preparing the custard.

To make the custard, beat the egg and sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Add the cream and Calvados and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture over the apples and return to the oven. After 10 minutes, sprinkle the top with confectioners sugar. Continue to bake 15-20 minutes until the custard is set and the top is browned Serve this tart warm.